Monday, May 8, 2017

7 of the Best Mother's Day Ads We've Ever Seen

Sometime in early May each year, search volume for "When is Mother's Day" begins to reach a panicked spike.

Consider this article your official reminder: Mother's Day is this Sunday (May 14th), and we have a selection of hilarious and heartwarming ads about moms to get you in the spirit.

From a lighthearted garden gathering with the royal family to a moving tribute to mothers of sick children, each of these campaigns celebrate those authentic moments that bond us with our moms.

A word of caution to those of you currently in the office: you might want to get some tissues ready. Don't say I didn't warn you.

7 Great Examples of Mother's Day Advertising

1) Moms Explain What Their Kids Do in Advertising | MRY (2015)

If you work in the digital marketing or advertising space, you've probably struggled at some point to concisely explain what your job entails to your family. To celebrate Mother's Day 2015, the folks at digital agency MRY posed a seemingly simple question to their moms: What do you think I do for a living?

The answers -- delivered via web cam by the moms themselves -- range from "Online Advertising Through the Computer for Any Kind of Internet Kind of Thing" to "Annoying Pop-Up Creator" -- and more than one childhood art project is unearthed for some unsolicited praise.

2) The Body Shop | British Roses for the Queen (2016)

The Body Shop enlisted the help of London-based agency Mr. President to produce this candid, home video-style ad featuring a cast of (very convincing) royal family doppelgangers celebrating Mother's Day in the royal garden.

Allison Jackson, a BAFTA-award winning director best known for her lookalike photos of celebrities, was brought on to ensure the video looked authentic.

3) SickKids vs. MomStrong | Sick Kids (2017)

If the anguish depicted seems real, that's because it is -- Cossette Toronto, the agency behind the ad, cast real mothers in the short video, gently revealing personal, often unseen moments of pain and resilience.

4) FlyBabies | JetBlue (2016)

After watching this ad from Boston-based agency MullenLowe, maybe you'll think twice before judging the mother with the screaming baby on your next flight.

For Mother's Day 2016, this JetBlue stunt offered passengers a 25% discount on their next round-trip flight every time a baby cried on the plan. With four babies on the plane, their odds of getting a completely free flight were pretty good. This ad ultimately achieves the unachievable: getting airline passengers to clap and cheer each time a baby cries.

5) Swear Like a Mother | Kraft (2017)

74% of moms admit they've accidentally sworn in front of their kids before. The other 26%? "Full of sh*t", suggests Melissa Mohr, author of Holy Sh*t: A Brief History of Swearing.

To champion Kraft's message of giving yourself a much-deserved break once in a while, CP+B Boulder asked Mohr to share some of her tips for those not-so-perfect parenting situations. Because being a mom is tough, and it's healthy to remind yourself you don't have to be perfect.

6) Texts From Mom | Samsung (2015)

Long ago, your mom taught you how to do things like eat, roll over on your belly, and use the bathroom. Some things are just not as intuitive as think, so don't be too hard on your mom for her lack of texting expertise.

This R/GA-produced Mother's Day spot takes a hilarious look at some of the texts you might get from your mom, and reminds you to give her a call this Sunday.

7) Tattoo | American Greetings (2017)

In this heartwarming spot for American Greetings, MullenLowe took inspiration from a friend of creative director Allison Rude. After her father died, the friend discovered a card from her father, and got a meaningful handwritten line tattooed on her wrist. In the ad, a daughter gets a similar inked tribute to her late mother.